Slogan #25

Don't talk about injured limbs.

Perspective and context are everything. I love Kozyndan for their quirky and whimsical interpretations of traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock art. When I first glanced at this print though, I only noticed the cherry blossoms—it took me a while to see the bunnies! Faults, deformities, weaknesses, differences, and problems are the same: because it’s what we see first, it is easy to dwell on the obvious without taking into consideration what is beneath the surface. Norm Fischer’s astute observation that “you can always count on the fact that people who behave badly have been injured” is an invitation to make compassion and forgiveness your default. Notice your ingrained negativity bias. Recognize that there is a world beyond my side/the right side and your side/the wrong side.

Do not gossip. Don’t talk about what’s wrong with others. Do not make fun of others or draw attention to their defects and problems. Don’t favor people you like over people you don’t like. Try practicing this slogan as an absolute—this will be an unconditional practice of never, under any circumstances, discussing the faults of others. Note the injury and the limitations that arise from the defect. Don’t look away, simply meet people where they are.

Perhaps the best advice you can ever give yourself is to see more than your own injured limbs. “Be a lamp upon yourself.” _Buddha

May I be free from preference and prejudice.
May I know things just as they are.
May I see into whatever arises.
May I experience the world knowing me just as I am.